Florida's First Choice for Autism Support

Posts tagged ‘Resources’

It’s no big secret that high school can be a challenge for anyone, not just those on the spectrum, but for many of them, the struggle is greater than any other. They’re still growing up, many have yet to learn any true applicable life skills, and classes can be a challenge if the teacher is incapable of keeping the pace of their lessons at an acceptable level for all of their students. Many go through that phase where everything their parents say is wrong and they’re always right (don’t worry we all do it). These are just some of the many issues which can make high school so difficult. I know for me personally, high school had its ups sure, but on the whole I barely made it through at times, often only passing due to the intervention of my mom or dad chatting with my teachers and getting me back on the right track. Here, I want to discuss some issues facing students with autism in high school, and perhaps some solutions that can help resolve the main issues.

Nowadays, students with ASD participating in general education classrooms is trending. Many are beginning to feel that just because a kid has autism, doesn’t mean they can’t or shouldn’t receive the same knowledge as everyone else. For those who may not be “in-the-know” about what autism is, some of the most common characteristics are difficulty in social situations, an inability to spot sarcasm or tone of voice, repetitious actions, and a general aversion to change. According to Veronica Fleury of UNC’s Center on Secondary Education for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders, “Many educators find that they’re not prepared to adapt their instruction methods to meet both state standards and the diverse needs of students with autism.” In a similar study, it was noted that students on the spectrum had a disproportionately high participation in the STEM fields compared to the general populace, regardless of gender or income. If that’s really the case, then it’s apparent that high schools need to prepare these students with the necessary skills for achieving their goals, as STEM fields are some of the most difficult to succeed in.

Another thing to keep in mind, especially if you are a teacher, is that a lot of individuals on the spectrum have unique (or at least different) learning styles. When planning for instruction, keep in mind that for the most part, students with ASD are visual learners, literal learners, and require consistency, according to this resource. For example, out-of-nowhere pop quizzes and numerous hands-on activities aren’t going to be very effective for most, as they’ll quickly lose interest and won’t absorb a single word coming out of your mouth. Be forthcoming and explicit with your expectations, don’t leave anything up for interpretation or else the student may not understand what they’re supposed to do in a given situation.

Additionally, try to keep the student engaged with other members of the classroom. If given the chance, many with autism will clam up and not want to socialize at all. This simply isn’t going to cut it in the real world, so try to prepare them by having them participate in group work. If you follow these tips, dealing with your student should be much easier.

Out of all the issues we try to address here at CARD, there is perhaps none more important than how can we help kids on the spectrum, who just finished, or are finishing, high school successfully transition into the adult (working) world? It can seem like a monumental task at times, even downright impossible, but it’s not! I was in the exact same position when I graduated from Lakewood Ranch High School back in 2013, and my life sort of stalled until I found CARD, and of course the Learning Academy. They helped me a lot, and hopefully I can do the same thing for anyone reading this.

According to the Autism Society via the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of “June 2014, only 19.3 percent of people with disabilities in the U.S. were participating in the labor force – working or seeking work. Of those, 12.9 percent were unemployed; meaning only 16.8 percent of the population with disabilities was employed (By contrast, 69.3 percent of people without disabilities were in the labor force, and 65 percent of the population without disabilities was employed).” The difference between the 2 is enormous, and clearly speaks to some sort of correlation; such a gap cannot be mere coincidence. Now, to be fair, part of the blame does lie on those with the disabilities. Less than 20% of people on the spectrum were looking for work, and that is a huge part of the problem.

Many employers hear the negative stereotypes associated with workers with mental disabilities, and don’t want to take the risk of hiring them. Things like laziness, the inability to follow orders, taking longer to accomplish tasks, lack of social skills, etc. are just some of the reasons companies aren’t hiring from this demographic. And it cannot be denied that, for many young, and even full-grown adults, these things are an issue that plagues them. But, just like any other problem, it can be fixed if both the boss and employee are willing to work together and be understanding. Perhaps if more companies realized this, they could see some of the positive attributes people on the spectrum can bring; i.e. resourcefulness, creativity, unique perspectives and the ability to point out the little details others might miss.

So now we know a few of the issues, but how can we go about fixing them; i.e. making the transition? I think this article sums it up quite well, “For young adults who go directly into the employment world, it will also be critical for them to focus on their strengths and what brings them the greatest joy. They will want to explore different areas of the job market. Different work environments may help different individuals to excel. There are many opportunities for supported employment, where the employer offers supports to a worker with different challenges. Other individuals will require less support and may do better independently.” Basically, you need to find your passion, and there are many organizations that can help you out with that, including CARD!

As I “retire” from CARD-USF to move on to a hundred other activities, I have been reflecting a lot lately on: how much I will miss everyone at CARD; how much I will miss USF, which has been part of my life since 1967; how much I will miss being a librarian, even if I’ve been kind of a “pretend” one for the last couple of decades; and how much I will miss keeping up on the latest research, publications, and news, though the osmosis effect of social media ensures that I won’t miss much.

Mostly, I am thinking about how much things have changed for families since my daughter was diagnosed in 1992:

Her original diagnosis of PDD-NOS no longer exists as a diagnosis

Asperger’s disorder no longer exists as a diagnosis

Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in the early 90s were very likely to be placed in programs designed for children with emotional/behavioral disorders, or intellectual disabilities, but rarely in programs designed for children with ASD diagnoses. Very often, children with ASD were placed in center-based schools. We have watched education evolve from a dearth of teacher preparation and services, through developing expertise thanks to professional development efforts of school districts and organizations like CARD, through segregated settings at neighborhood schools, to a current landscape in which many more students are fully or partially included with their peers in regular education classes and activities.

Interventions have gone from consequence-based, punitive “treatments” to antecedent-based, positive supports that seek to make the whole environment supportive and oriented toward increased communication and prevention of challenging behaviors.

Community venues such as child care sites, summer camps, restaurants, movie theaters, theme parks, resorts, zoos, orchestras and museums have gone from being fairly unwelcoming environments, to seeking out training and support from CARD to open their doors and programming to customers, visitors and employees who have ASD.

One of the most beautiful advocacy movements that has emerged over the past twenty years has been the self-advocacy movement working for acceptance of all individuals with or without diagnoses. This movement has recently been represented most visibly by the author Steve Silberman, in his book NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity, published by Penguin Random House in 2015. Many public libraries have this book, or can get it via inter library loan if you are interested in reading it. This movement seeks to move from “awareness” to acceptance. Once individuals who have traditionally been marginalized by society develop their own voice and presence, it becomes impossible for them to continue being ignored, and changes happen quickly.

As the parent of an adult with ASD who is very challenged by social & communication issues, I will take with me into retirement a renewed sense of my daughter as an individual with unlimited potential who deserves to be accepted fully by her community, even if she needs a bit more assistance in developing her own voice. But it should be her voice – not the voice of well-meaning people thinking they are speaking for her.

Thank you CARD staff, families and friends, thank you everyone in CBCS and USF for the gifts of your friendship, wisdom, and insight. I leave here the better for having known and worked with all of you.

There are a number of swimming lessons and water safety education resources throughout the communities we serve through CARD-USF. They may or may not have expertise working with students with autism spectrum disorder. CARD-USF staff provide trainings upon request to various recreation programs, but even with our training, you need to make sure the instructors and programs you choose are right for your family. Please let us know if there are some terrific programs that worked well for your family so we can share the good news with other families. Here is a list of resources for all 14 counties we serve: swim lessons

Disclaimer: As a policy, CARD will not lend its name to the endorsement of any specific program, practice, or model that is offered for service to people with autism and related disabilities. However, the sharing of information and training opportunities are key functions of the CARD program.

We have had great success with our “Early Childhood Training Series”. We originally geared this training for new parents of children diagnosed with autism, but we have had numerous professionals and parents join us. Participants joined us from CARD-USF’s 14-county region as well as from various other regions in Florida and even from other states! Our topics have included“Positive Collaborations with Schools”, “Addressing Challenging Behavior”, and “Enhancing Communication”. Coming up next on our list of topics are “Creating Visuals”, “Addressing Feeding Issues”, “Addressing Sleep Issues”, and “Preparing for Summer”.
These trainings run on the first Tuesday of every month from 6:00pm to 7:00pm. To participate online via adobe connect visit http://usf.adobeconnect.com/card_ect at 5:45pm on the night of the training. Or you can join us in person. Please RSVP beverlyking@usf.edu one week before the date of the training as space is limited. We look forward to keeping this project an ongoing opportunity and welcome all feedback. If there are other topics of interest that you would like to see in the future please let us know.
– Your Early Childhood Team